Varsity game. Home AD takes a call on his cell phone. While on the phone AD works his way over to visitor bench and hands his phone to head coach. She is shocked, but takes the call behind the bench. Brief conversation, coach visibly upset, gives a "your in charge" look and hand motion to asst. coach and leaves gym. Asst. does great job rest of game. Head coach returns to bench 10 minutes later, sits down and has Asst. coach finish the game standing up. Turns out there was a death of someone closely associated with the team. Unsure if it was sudden, or was expected. Apparently she shared news with team shortly after game, as girls crying and hugging. I thought it was handled as well as could be by bench, did not affect play on the court, working officials not even aware it was going on, except change in HC.

Sadly, all I could think of was that if NevadaRef was calling that team wouldnt get any more timeouts.

Varsity game. Home AD takes a call on his cell phone. While on the phone AD works his way over to visitor bench and hands his phone to head coach. She is shocked, but takes the call behind the bench. Brief conversation, coach visibly upset, gives a "your in charge" look and hand motion to asst. coach and leaves gym. Asst. does great job rest of game. Head coach returns to bench 10 minutes later, sits down and has Asst. coach finish the game standing up. Turns out there was a death of someone closely associated with the team. Unsure if it was sudden, or was expected. Apparently she shared news with team shortly after game, as girls crying and hugging. I thought it was handled as well as could be by bench, did not affect play on the court, working officials not even aware it was going on, except change in HC.

Sadly, all I could think of was that if NevadaRef was calling that team wouldnt get any more timeouts.

No, he'd whack the coach for leaving the box or for using the cell phone.

The game had had excellent sportsmanship by both team, both coaches behaving themselves before the phone call, and continued with the acting head coach, plus game was not close. Those two factors would have made ref jumping into the Bench feng shui likely seem a bit heavy handed.

There was a time when coaches HAD to remain seated for the entire game. Coaches still coached. Games were still won and lost. Oh the simpler days.... I coached at Pa. schools that still had the rule and it was hard, you could not even show emotion on good plays or bad ( as far as leaving your seat)...

There was no urgency, the person in question was dead. Passing the information along during the game does nothing to change that. The information could have been given once the game was over. Bad decision on the ADs part.

Jeez, that's heartless and cold. But we can't let something like a death interfere with the game.

Maybe it was someone the team expected to be there--another AC, the team's shooting coach, mascot, former HC, or spiritual advisor. What is the sense of second-guessing the AD, who was probably as stunned and shocked as the HC was and made a decision under that stress?

There was no urgency, the person in question was dead. Passing the information along during the game does nothing to change that. The information could have been given once the game was over. Bad decision on the ADs part.